Edinburgh Gin Cannonball Navy Strength Gin

Edinburgh Gin Cannonball is the distillery's navy-strength expression, bottled at a formidable 57.2% in the tradition of the spirits once carried aboard ship. The recipe leans hard on juniper and layers in orange peel, lavender and bay leaves, with a quiet thread of cinnamon and aniseed for warmth. The high proof is not for show: it concentrates the botanicals and gives mixed drinks the backbone to cut through ice and tonic without thinning out.

The nose is intense, juniper and citrus shot through with lavender and a spicy lick of cinnamon. The palate is full-bodied and strong, juniper at the centre with citrus freshness and a warm spice carried by bay and aniseed, before a long, warming finish closes on sweet herbs and cinnamon. It makes a commanding Negroni, or a gin and tonic with real presence; over ice it rewards slow sipping beside dark chocolate or mature cheese.